<p> Your Logo Here</p><p>Release: Immediate Contact: Date: Phone: </p><p>PLASTIC BOTTLES JOIN ALUMINUM CANS ON STATEWIDE LANDFILL BAN LIST [ORGANIZATION] Cautions Not All Plastics Can Be Recycled</p><p>(City, State) – (Organization) reminds the public that plastic bottles are officially prohibited from entering any North Carolina landfill beginning in October. Plastic bottles join aluminum cans, which have been banned since 1994, as items that must be recycled. </p><p>“We hope the upcoming ban encourages all North Carolinians to recycle their plastic bottles,” said Kelley Dennings, education and outreach coordinator for the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. “While plastic bottles can be recycled easily, not all plastics can be recycled. It’s important to remember that just because a plastic container has a recycling symbol, it does not mean it can be recycled in [COMMUNITY].”</p><p>The recycle symbol (three chasing arrows) with a corresponding number, or resin identification, found on plastic products indicates the polymer of the plastic. There are seven resins with corresponding numbers. For example, plastic drink bottles have the resin identification # 1 which represents PET plastic. Another common recyclable plastic is #2 or HDPE, which is often used for laundry detergent bottles, shampoo bottles or milk jugs. Resin #5 or polypropylene can be found in yogurt containers or butter tubs. However, resin #5 is not recyclable in [COMMUNITY (unless it is)] and should not be put in recycling bins. </p><p>“The new plastic bottle landfill ban refers to ‘all bottles’, so anything that has a neck smaller than the base, would need to be recycled,” Dennings said. “This explains why children’s toys, take out containers and dry cleaning bags for example are not included in the ban.”</p><p>Ninety-five percent of North Carolinians have access to some kind of plastic bottle recycling in their community. [COMMUNITY] can recycle their plastic bottles either through [CURBSIDE/DROPOFF/BOTH] programs. </p><p>For more information on banned items please contact DPPEA at (919) 715-6500 or (800) 763-0136. You can also visit the Web site at www.p2pays.org. For a graphic of the plastic resins that can be recycled in North Carolina, please visit www.RE3.org. </p><p>###</p><p>Address: Contact: Phone: Email: </p><p>An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer</p>